Uber’s Real-Time Map Shown To Be Fake

Alex Rosenblat, Luke Stark

D&S researcher Alex Rosenblat and Luke Stark’s work in researching the validity of Uber’s map for available nearby cars was quoted in this piece by LBC.

Employees of think-tank Data & Society wrote: “The presence of those virtual cars on the passenger’s screen does not necessarily reflect an accurate number of drivers who are physically present or their precise locations.

“Instead, these phantom cars are part of a ‘visual effect’ that Uber uses to emphasise the proximity of drivers to passengers. Not surprisingly, the visual effect shows cars nearby, even when they might not actually exist.”